


Happy Birthday, Armin

by Katiebug445



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: M/M, canonverse, for armin's birthday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:55:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29233386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katiebug445/pseuds/Katiebug445
Summary: Jean surprises Armin by remembering his birthday.
Relationships: Armin Arlert/Jean Kirstein
Kudos: 27





	Happy Birthday, Armin

“It’s beautiful tonight, isn’t it?” Jean asked, staring up at the sky. “You can’t get good views like this back home." **  
**

  
Armin sat next to him, shivering despite his cloak, and gave a quick nod of his head. "That’s one thing I like about being out here. The sky seems so much bigger.”  
  
“The /world/ seems so much bigger, you mean.” Jean replied, eyes shifting to the blond. He noticed how bad he was shivering, and the smile slipped off his face. “Are you alright?”  
  
“’M fine!” Armin insisted, drawing the fabric just a little tighter around himself. “Just a little c-cold.” Without a word, Jean undid the button on his own cloak and draped it over Armin’s body, stopping the shivers for just a second.“J-Jean, I’m f-fine, really!”  
  
“No, you’re not. I’m alright, I don’t get cold as easily as you do.”

“T-Thanks.” Armin reached his fingers out through his own cloak, hitching the taller boy’s up around his shoulders, thankful for the extra layer. He was thankful for Jean, too, if he were being honest.

He hadn’t even realized it was his birthday until the other boy had woken him up, shushing him when he tried to ask what was happening, and lead him quietly through the forest until they reached a small clearing. They’d been here several times before on scouting trips, and it was the only place for several miles where they could see the sky. Jean took his hands and didn’t stop until they were directly in the center of the clearing, and had a perfect view of the sky.

He knew Armin loved stargazing.

“Happy birthday, Armin..” he said. Armin was just able to catch a glimpse of a blush on his cheeks as he sat down, Jean right beside him. He couldn’t believe the other boy actually did this for him. He remembered Jean asking about his birthday a long time ago, but he hadn’t expected him to actually remember it.

He would have been lying if he said he didn’t appreciate it, though.

Armin loved moments like this, when it was just the two of them, when Jean’s real character came out. Away from the others, away from Eren, he could be the biggest sweetheart, and it never failed to make him feel special.

Armin’s teeth started chattering ever so slightly, and he scooted just a tiny bit closer to the taller boy, hoping to stave off some of the chill before it got started. Jean’s eyes found him, and Armin noted that he looked like he was smiling when he looked away.

“Thank you.” he said, “for remembering.”

“Well,” Jean started, already getting flustered. “I mean, it’s your birthday, and it didn’t seem like anybody else was making a big deal about it, so, I thought…” Armin could hear him swallowing, a telltale sign that he was nervous, and the taller boy shifted just a little. “It - It didn’t seem like you’ve had a lot good birthdays.”

“My grandpa used to celebrate with me.” Armin replied, fixing his eyes on the stars. “Before Shiganshina fell, anyways. After that… I guess you’re right, I really haven’t done a lot for it since then.”

“My mom always made a big deal about birthdays.” Jean said after a moment, his breath coming out in a puff of air in front of him. “She always tried to make sure that we did something every year, even if it was small…” He trailed off after that, lost in his own thoughts for a moment, and the cold took hold of Armin almost completely. He wrapped his jacket and cloak around him, trying to keep the chill off of him as much as possible, and tried not to let Jean hear his teeth chattering. “That’s why I… I don’t know.. It just didn’t… seem right to let yours go by out here…”

It meant the world to him that Jean had made sure to do something for him today, and he couldn’t think of anybody else he would rather be sitting there looking at stars with than the boy next to him. With a smile, Armin leaned up and pressed a kiss to Jean’s cheek, taking note of how quickly the other boy’s face went red afterwards. “Thank you again.” He said.

“D-Don’t mention it.”

Armin leaned his head on Jean’s shoulder and closed his eyes, wanting to remember this moment. It was, by far, one of the coldest birthdays he could ever remember having, but it was also one of the best. And that was because of Jean Kirstein.


End file.
